Is it him?
by freakymathgirl
Summary: Gabriella was always told that he father died when she was a baby. But she finds evidence that makes her think otherwise. R&R please! Troyella! NOW COMPLETE!
1. First Day of School

Chapter One – First Day of School

I awoke with a start to the sound of my alarm clock going off. First I frowned. I had been having an amazing dream about me and Troy getting married. But then my frown slowly turned upside down as I remembered.

"Today is the first day of school!" I sang to myself. Now, I know only geeks are excited about the first day of school. I mean, come on, right? But that's ok. Because I am a geek!

I hopped out of bed and ran to the bathroom. Then I got in the shower. I shampooed my hair and washed my body with my new Satsuma body wash from the Body Shop. Yum. I quickly shaved my legs and conditioned my hair, then got out of the shower. I wrapped my hair in a towel and walked out to my closet. What to wear, what to wear? I tried on about five different outfits before finally deciding on a denim skirt, flip flops, and my pink ribbed tank top. I quickly did my makeup, and then blow-dried my hair. I had plenty of time to spare, so I started daydreaming a bit. I looked around my room, and my bulletin board caught my eye. Well, not so much my bulletin board but one of the pictures on it.

It was a picture that I had looked at many times before. It was fuzzy, and it was really worn. It had creases and cracks but I kept it nonetheless. After all, it was the only picture I had of my father.

I had no memories of my dad because he had died when I was only a baby. He had gone fishing with some of his friends and they hadn't worn lifejackets. The boat capsized and even though he was normally a strong swimmer, he didn't make it. The waves were rough, the water was cold, and his heavy clothing weighed him down. My mom rarely spoke about my dad. It was just too painful for her, she told me.

Troy was already waiting at the bus stop. The bus was nowhere in sight so I ran up to him and gave him a gentle kiss on the lips.

"That's a nice way to say good morning," he flirted. I just grinned.

"So what makes my favorite girlfriend so happy on the first day of school?" he asked.

"Well," I replied, "It's the first day of school!" He laughed. So I gave him a little shove.

"Hey, what was that for?" He whined.

"I think you know," I responded.

Just then the bus pulled up. We got onto the bus. I looked around, but there were no seats left with room for two. Then I heard someone calling my name. I looked around.

"Gabi! Over here! I saved you a seat!" I made my way over to my best friend Taylor, who was very eager to see me that day. She had this smile on her face and I could just tell she was bursting to say something.

"What's the scoop, Tay? You look like you're about to explode! Just spill already!"

"Fine!" She exclaimed. "Oh my gosh, you'll never believe this ever in a million years!"

"Well, you'll have to tell me before I'll believe anything!" I exclaimed. "Just spit it out!" I was getting frustrated.

"Okay," she whispered, "but keep this to yourself for now. No one else knows yet. Well, last night…Chad asked me to be his girlfriend!"

"Finally!" I exclaimed. Just as I said it, I heard Troy saying the exact same thing too. I turned around and saw that he was sitting next to Chad. Troy and I gave each other knowing looks.

"What do you mean, finally?" Taylor questioned.

"Come on, Taylor," I replied. "Everyone knows you two have the hots for each other. It's so obvious. I'm surprised you two didn't get together sooner!"

The color drained from her face.

"It's that obvious?" She squeaked.

"Uh…yeah…so what?" I responded.

"Well, it's just a bit awkward knowing that the whole school can read your face like a book. That's all." She sighed, and turned slightly. I could tell she was secretly (well actually not-so-secretly) admiring Chad. So I decided to let her daydream and I started daydreaming myself. Troy was in the process of proposing to me when the bus screeched to a halt outside our school.

I was so happy that I got to be in the same homeroom as Troy, Taylor, Chad, Kelsi, Sharpay, Ryan, Jason, and Zeke for my junior year. According to our schedules, we had Mr. Johnson. He was a new teacher. As we walked down the hallway to class, Troy and Chad discussed ways to practical joke him.

"Well, we could put tacks on his chair."

"Chad! That's so old! Come on, be creative. How about if we pour processed cheese powder into his coffee?"

"You are obviously a few crayons short of a box, Troy. Won't he sort of notice if his coffee is ORANGE!"

"Uh…well…not if he has one of those travel mugs with the lids!"

"Ok, well, I guess that's a possibility. Oh! Wait! I know! We could put super glue on his chair! Haha! When he got up, he would either bring the chair with him or reveal his tightie-whities to the world! Ha! Ha! Haha!"

"That's dumb. I think we should sneak into his house and put pink hair dye in his shampoo!"

"Geez, dude, do you want to be arrested or something? That little prank would involve breaking and entering! And that, my friend, is illegal!"

As the boys argued, we came to Mr. Johnson's room. We all walked in and sat down. I was next to troy and behind Taylor. Troy and Chad stopped talking about the pranks since we were in teacher territory.

Taylor and I were discussing our boyfriends when Mr. Johnson walked in. He went to the front of the classroom and introduced himself. Then we went around the room and told him our names. He asked us about our summer vacations. He seemed pretty friendly, but there was just something about him that I didn't trust. Everyone else loved him though. I thought for awhile, then leaned over towards Troy.

"Does Mr. Johnson look familiar to you?" I asked.


	2. Eureka!

**Eureka!**

It was really bugging me. All throughout the day, I kept comparing Mr. Johnson to people I knew.

_During Drama_

"_So Troy, today we have to rehearse the kissing scene," I commented. Troy just grinned._

"_Oh really," he replied, "Are you looking forward to that?"_

"_Well," I flirted, "Maybe a bit. After all, if I close my eyes when I kiss you, then I can pretend that you're Orlando Bloom or something…" Troy swatted at me .I giggled._

"_Would you like to, you know, do a bit of practicing just to make sure we do a good job during rehearsal?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows. I leaned in to kiss him, then stopped. _

"_Troy, could you wiggle your eyebrows again?" I asked. He looked very puzzled but did it again._

'_Hmmmmmm,' I thought, 'Mr. Johnson wiggles his eyebrows almost exactly the same way as Troy. No. that's not it.'_

_During Language Arts_

_I was so bored. The teacher was droning on and on about Shakespeare. Now, don't get me wrong. Normally I just love Shakespeare. But not when my teacher had spent the last hour and a half talking about the same play. No, not reading it. Talking about it. And I hate to say it but good ol' Ms. Wagner has a bit of…um…a salivial gland overproduction problem. Oh, heck with it. She spits. Like crazy. Every time she said "A midsummer nighT's dream" or "HiPPolyTa" or "TiTania" or "DemeTrius" or "THeseus", the front row got a nice mid-afternoon shower. I have to say, some of them could use it. But I was quite content to sit in the back of the classroom with my friends. Taylor and I would pass notes back and forth to pass time._

**(AN: Taylor's writing is bold and Gabriella's is underlined)**

_**Wow, do you think Ol' Spitsalot could possibly spit more?**_

_I know, right! She's like a waterfall! Lol_

**_You know who's been looking really fine lately?_**

_Who?_

_**Ryan Evans.**_

_I gasped, then gasped again. The first gasp was because of what Taylor wrote. The second was because I had realized that Taylor dotted her i's exactly the same way as Mr. Johnson. But that still was not what I was looking for. There was something else, and it was really bothering me._

I was soooooooooooo frustrated. I mean, come on, I'm the genius girl; I should be able to figure this out, right? But something was not clicking. I needed to think outside the box. I needed to be more determined.

When the lunch bell rang Troy came up to me. I greeted him with a quick peck on the cheek. He noticed how fidgety and anxious I was, so he pulled me aside.

"Let's go eat lunch in our secret spot, ok?" he requested. "I'll meet you there in 5 minutes." I just nodded. I was at a loss for words. He called it _our _secret spot. Not his, _ours_. I felt so honored that he felt close enough to me to want to share his special place with me. I knew how special it was to him. It was his oasis, his retreat, his refuge, his haven, his sanctuary, his hideout. Like kindergarten.

I quickly went to my locker to get my lunch. Then I went up to the roof top. Troy was already there.

"Gabi, I've noticed that you've seemed a bit distracted today," he commented, stroking my hair. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, Troy. It's just that Mr. Johnson seems so familiar. But I don't know who or what he reminds me of. It's really bugging me a lot. I'm mad I can't figure this out. I'm supposed to be so smart. But I guess I'm not. I'm really just stupid." And with that, I started bawling. Normally, something like that wouldn't have made me cry. But combine PMS with having Troy there to comfort me (haha he would hold me in his arms and try to cheer me up) and voila! One crying Gabriella at your service!

Troy took me into his arms and started rubbing my back. I cried into his amazingly hot and muscular chest. I was already feeling better.

"Now Gabi, you are not stupid. You're the smartest person I know. Just because it's taking you a bit of time to figure this out doesn't mean you're stupid. Think of it as a challenge."

I smiled and looked into his ocean blue eyes. He flashed me his charming grin and I couldn't help but smile back. He then cupped my face in his hands and ours lips moved closer together until finally they touched. And boy did they touch. Fireworks exploded inside me and I shivered a little. Troy was such a good kisser. Wow. 11/10. No, make that 11 million/10. I deepened the kiss a little and then I jerked away.

"Troy," I whispered, wide-eyed, "I know who he reminds me of!"

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**Haha, cliffy! Sorry, I couldn't resist. I'll try to update in the next couple of days. Review please! I hope you're enjoying the story so far!**


	3. Phase One

**Phase One**

Troy looked deep into my eyes.

"Who, Gabi, who?" he asked impatiently.

"This may seem a little impossible. But Mr. Johnson looks exactly like…my father!"

By the shocked yet knowing look on Troy's face, I could tell he understood completely. He had seen the photo of my dad often, whenever we studied together (honestly, we really did study!) or when he picked me up for a date, or when we watched movies or even just talked.

"You know what, Gabriella? You're right! Wow, that's creepy that two guys can look so similar!" he exclaimed.

" No Troy, I think that Mr. Johnson is my dad!"

"Gabi, how could that be? Your dad died a long time ago. People don't just rise from the dead you know!"

I sighed. I knew it was unlikely, but I just had this feeling that he was my dad.

"You know, Troy, my mom could have lied to me! If she had something to hide. Maybe…Maybe I was the result of a summer fling and she didn't want me to know I was born illegitimately, you know, as not to encourage me to act the way she did." I joked.

Troy grinned.

"Yeah," he said enthusiastically," "Or maybe he was having an affair with another woman so he pretended he had drowned in order to free himself of you and your mom so he could be with his mistress!"

I smiled.

"Troy, do you believe me at all when I say that he's my dad?"

"You know, now that I think about it there's more and more evidence that he is. He looks exactly like the picture. And he has similar speech patterns to you, and he walks with the same stride. You have to same noses and hair. I can't believe that no one else has noticed the similarities between the two of you!"

"Oh Troy," I sighed, "Thanks for understanding. And for now, could we maybe keep this on the down low? If I'm wrong, I'll look really stupid. I want to find out for sure before I say anything."

"That's fine Gabi. But how will you find out if he's your dad or not? Are you just going to ask him straight out?"

"Of course not! I already have a plan being to take shape in my head. Here's what I'm going to do for Phase One…"

………………………………………………………………………………

I closed my textbook and looked at my watch. Perfect. It was 10 o'clock. My mom would be drowsy enough to not really be careful about what she was saying but it was early enough so that she wouldn't be too emotional.

I walked next door to my mom's room, where she was watching the news from her bed. I flopped down beside her.

"Mom, I'm…um…doing a family tree in LA and well since I need to put Dad on there, I want to explain his cause of death. How was it that he drowned again?"

My mom blinked. I saw a tear forming in the corner of her eye.

"I don't really like to talk about it, but I guess this once…You see, we were on vacation. We went to Florida so we could go to Disney World and swim in the ocean. Your father was swimming and all of a sudden the waves got really fierce. He got stuck in a riptide and was pulled far away from shore. He became too weak to stay above the surface and he drowned."

Hmmm. Very different from the other story she told me. Since she had been so cooperative answering that question, I decided to press further.

"Mom, what did dad look like?"

"Um…," she said, obviously distracted by the TV.

Then what I had said registered and she snapped.

"I thought I told you I don't want to talk about it!" She yelled. "Did I not make myself clear!"

I ran from the room, frightened by her outburst. I thought a little. It was very suspicious how she had caged her story. When I was younger I was told hew died in a boating accident. Now a riptide killed him? Hmmm…This was definitely worth investigating more.

I decided to call Troy and update him on my latest discovery.

"Hello?"  
"Hi Troy!"

"Hey Gabs! How did Phase One go?"

"Perfect. She told me my dad died in a riptide during a vacation we took. Last time she said it was a boating accident. Very fishy, don't you think?"

"Yep. You were right Gabi. Something's going on here. Something worth investigating. I think that it's just about time to launch Phase Two."

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**Another cliffy! But don't be sad. It's just because I love you. Well actually because people are more likely to put this story on their alert list so they can find out what happens! Lol Press that little purple button! The more reviews, the sooner I update!**


	4. Dogsitting

**Dog-sitting**

The next morning when I walked into homeroom, Mr. Johnson wasn't there. Instead, Ms. Darbus was seated in his desk, reading a piece of paper. I leaned towards Troy who was sitting beside me.

"What's she doing here?" I asked.

"I dunno. Maybe Mr. Johnson is sick," he replied.

"Maybe but he was fine yesterday," I pointed out. "Oh no! What if he realized I'm his daughter and decided to flee the country?"

I guess I said that a little too loudly, because Taylor (who was sitting beside me) turned around and stared at me, right in the middle of a seemingly important conversation she was having with Chad. I also got a glare and a "Shhhhhhhh!" from Ms. Darbus.

Luckily, right then the final bell rang and Principal Matsui's voice came on over the intercom.

"Good morning students and teachers of East High! It is Tuesday, and Day 5 on the school day cycle. Today at lunch time the drama club will be meeting to look over scripts for our fall musicale. The volleyball team also has practice, and the chess club will meet in Room 109. If you are interested in running for Student Council, please talk to Miss Friesen by the end of the day. Another thing to note is that the library will not be open today during free period, so homework will have to be done somewhere else. And just a reminder that the dress code must be followed at all times. Please refer to page 245 in your student handbook if you need refreshing on what's appropriate and what isn't. Thank you everyone and have a great day."

After he was done speaking, Ms. Darbus cleared her throat.

"As you may have noticed, students, I am not Mr. Johnson. He had some family business to attend to and he will be gone for the rest of the week. I will be filling in for him until then."

"Awww, man!" exclaimed Chad. Several groans were heard throughout the room.

"That's enough, Mr. Danforth! Half an hour of detention after school. Anyone else care to join him?"

The room grew silent, and Ms. Darbus gave us a satisfied smile.

"Good. Now, while Mr. Johnson is gone, he needs someone to volunteer to walk and feed his dog, Oreo, every day. Is anyone willing to do it?"

No hands went up. Suddenly, I had a brilliant idea. I nudged Troy, and whispered "Put your hand up!" His hand shot up and Ms. Darbus looked pleased.

"Why thank you, Mr. Bolton. I'm sure Mr. Johnson will appreciate it greatly. Come see me after class to get his house key and some instructions."

Troy gave her a weak smile and nodded.

After homeroom, we both had a spare. As soon as we walked out of the classroom, Troy pulled me aside.

"Roof, 5 minutes, be there!" he whispered in my ear. I ran to my locker and dropped off my stuff before making my way up. Troy wasn't there yet so I went to look out the window. The view of the Albuquerque skyline was phenomenal. Then I heard Troy come up behind me. He slipped his arms around me so he was holding me while we both enjoyed the view.

"So Gabs, why exactly do you want me to walk Mr. Johnson's dog? In case you haven't noticed, I'm really busy, with basketball and the musical and such."

"I had the greatest idea Troy! Ms. Darbus gave you the keys to Mr. Johnson's house, right?"

"Right…"

"So, we can go to his house and look for clues that might prove he's my dad!"

"That's a great idea! We can see if he has any pictures of your mom or letters or maybe a divorce certificate!"

"Yeah, or find out if he's married, or had kids, and how old they are! If he has kids our age, the chances are less that he's my dad. But if they're just little…Oh, this is so exciting!"

"I know! And think of all the other things we could do…alone…in an empty house…with no parents nearby…" I swatted at his arm.

"I don't think so, mister!" I said.

"Don't worry Gabi, I was just joking," he said, smiling.

………………………………………………………………………………

After school, Troy and I walked over to Mr. Johnson's house. It was a fairly large home, in the same neighbourhood as my house. We unlocked the door, and we were greeted by a black and white ball of fur. Oreo started barking at us. I giggled, and Troy gave Oreo some ham leftover from his sandwich at lunch. Oreo accepted it happily, and calmed down. We walked with Oreo for about half an hour, and then returned to the Johnson residence. After feeding Oreo, we began our search of the house.

First we walked around the house, getting to know where everything was. On the main floor there was the living room, kitchen, dining room, office, bathroom, master bedroom and ensuite. Upstairs were three bedrooms and a bathroom. One room had a couch and TV, one looked like a guest room, and one was a baby's room. The basement contained a large rec room, a laundry room, a guest room and a bathroom.

We determined that Mr. Johnson had one child, a baby. Then we decided it was time to search. First we went into the office.

We looked through files and stuff. We found electricity bills, medical bills, mortgage bills, and stuff like that. We found the pop quiz Mr. Johnson had given us the day before in Science, to see where we were at.

"Yes! I got 100!" I exclaimed. Troy just gave me a weird look.

We found pictures of him and his family. His full name was William Peter Johnson. His wife was named Allison and his baby girl was Heather. She was about one, by the looks of it, and extremely adorable.

We were able to determine his family emergency. There was an obituary on the desk for a "Lester Charles Johnson," who must have been his dad. I felt bad for Mr. Johnson, and then realized that my grandpa might have died. Too bad I never met him.

We didn't really find anything interesting in the study so we moved on to the bedroom. After a few minutes I found what I was looking for. In an envelope, in the bottom drawer of one of the bedside tables, I found…

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**Sorry, another cliffy! Haha I just couldn't resist. I'll probably update tomorrow, so watch out for that! Review please! And thanks to everyone who ahs reviewed so far! The more reviews, the sooner I update!**

**-freakymathgirl**


	5. Studying

"**Studying"**

_Last Chapter:_

_We didn't really find anything interesting in the study so we moved on to the bedroom. After a few minutes I found what I was looking for. In an envelope, in the bottom drawer of one of the bedside tables, I found…_

…something shocking. Just what I needed. I could hardly believe my luck. The envelope contained a newspaper clipping and a wedding ring. The clipping was a wedding announcement, for W. Johnson and L. Montez. My mom. Lisa Montez. And the ring was significant too. Because my mother's wedding ring (she still wore it) was the female version of the one in the envelope.

I called Troy over and he was flabbergasted. We just couldn't believe it. Then we had to decide what to do with the evidence we found. Take it? That would be stealing. Leave it? Then how would it be useful to us? Take a picture of it? No camera. We decided we would bring a camera along the next day when we came to feed and walk Oreo.

With that, we turned off all the lights, locked up the house, and started walking home. It was around 6:00, almost supper time. Troy volunteered to walk me home, and I gratefully accepted his offer.

"Gabi, what I don't get is why I had to volunteer to walk his dog. Why not you?"

"Maybe it's because I wanted you to do all the work," I replied teasingly. Troy frowned.

"I was joking, Troy! The thing is, I didn't want to draw attention to myself. I think that if Mr. Johnson gets to know me better, he will realize that I'm his daughter. And I want to keep this between the two of us until I decide what I want to do. You know what I mean?"

"Yeah, I guess so. That makes a lot of sense. So, what do you think you want to do next?"

"Well, for now I'd like to have supper. Yum, I can smell it! Lasagna…my favorite. Want to stay for supper? My mom always makes extra for other meals, so there should be plenty."

"I'd love to! I just need to call my mom."

"Ok, you can use the line in my room," I offered as we walked in the door. Troy ran upstairs and I went to make sure it was ok with my mom if Troy ate with us. She was thrilled he was staying. Mom loved Troy. She thought he was a good influence on me, helping me expand my horizons.

After supper Troy and I went to my room to study. Well, I told my mom we were going to study. But really we were going to plan our next step.

"Troy! Gabriella!" My mom called up. "I'm going to a meeting! I'll be back around 11. I expect Troy will have gone home by then…behave, both of you!" I sighed.

"Yes, mom! Good-bye!" And with that she was out the door.

"Troy! This is the perfect opportunity! My mom's not home! We can search her room now."

We raced down the hallway, and into her room.

"I'll take her dresser, you take the bedside table," I exclaimed.

I started shuffling through her dresser. I found some fancy lingerie, pajamas, clothing, etc…but nothing interesting.

"Gabriella!" Troy said in a low voice, "Come here, quick!"

"What is it, Troy?" I walked over to him. Wordlessly, he handed me a pile of envelopes, held together by a rubber band. They were all addressed to my mom. From a W. Johnson. And they were unopened.

"I don't think we should open them just yet, Troy. My mom might notice if they're open," I explained.

"Ok. What do you want to do then?"

"Well, we can do a little research to find out the best way to open and reseal envelopes inconspicuously."

"Ok!"

We went to my room, where the computer was, and closed the door, in case my mom came home early. I was just logging on when the phone rang. Troy answered.

"Hello? Er…just a minute. Troy handed the phone to me.

"It's Taylor!" he whispered.

"Hi Taylor!"

"Hi Gabi! Um…why did Troy answer the phone?"

"Because he's over here?"

"Why is he in your room? I know your phone line rings in your room only."

"We were…um…studying."

"Really. What were you studying for?"

"The math test we have next week."

"Gabi, I'm in your math class. We don't have a test next week."

"Oh right. Well…um…"

"If you and Troy were doing it, you can tell me. I won't tell anyone. Oh, that's so exciting! What was it like?"

"No Taylor! Troy and I were not having sex, ok?"

Troy gave me a funny look.

"And Gabi, what was that in homeroom this morning? You said something about Mr. J being your dad? What's up with that?"

"It's a long story."

"I have time."

So I explained. Taylor agreed with me and couldn't believe she hadn't noticed it herself. Then we hung up. Troy and I had to get back to our research.

I clicked on the Internet Explorer icon, and then went to Google. I typed in "resealing envelopes," and came up with a bunch of kid's spy tips websites. I looked over at Troy.

He was staring at me with a funny look on his face.

"What is it?"

"You look so adorable when you're concentrating.

I got up to give him a hug, but it turned into a kiss. A long one too. We sat down on my bed and started making out. I was running my fingers through his hair. It was really soft. After a little while, I pulled away and sighed, resting my head on his shoulder. I looked over at the clock. 10:00 already!

"Troy, you should probably go home now."

"Yeah, you're right. See you tomorrow!"

"Yeah." I gave him one last kiss on the top of the head.

"Oh no! Gabriella! Tomorrow is Meet the Teacher night! Is your mom planning on going?" I gasped.

"She is! What are we going to do?"

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**Another one! I sure love those cliffies! And thanks to all my reviewers. I got a record number of reviewers last chapter (well for this story at least) but lets try to beat that record! So review! Please! Now!**


	6. Meet the Teacher Evening

**Meet the Teacher Evening**

My eyes fluttered open. It was the big day. Meet the Teacher Evening. I had exactly 12 hours to figure out a way to keep my mom from going. This was going to be one tough task. When my mom's mind was set on doing something, nothing stopped her. Nothing.

The previous night, I had erased Meet the Teacher Evening from the calendar. I had hidden the note about it too. But when I went downstairs for breakfast that morning, I found that it was written back up there. Rats.

At the breakfast table I decided to tempt her with other things she could do that evening, things much more appealing than meeting my teachers.

"So mom, I was thinking maybe the two of us could have a mother-daughter evening tonight. We could watch a movie, get pedicures, and eat ice cream sundaes. Would you be interested?"

"Honey, tonight is 'Meet the Teacher Night' at your school. I want to go to that and discuss with them how you're doing academically, and get to know them."

"Mom, you know my grades are fine. And you're already met my teachers."

"Not all of them. Come on Gabi, it almost seems like you don't want me to go!"

"That's not it mom. Go have a great time. But do you mind if I come along? You know, to show you around?"

"That would be just fine. Now you better hurry, or you're going to miss the bus!"

With that, I ran out the door. When I got on the bus I sat down next to Troy.

"Troy, my mom is absolutely set on going to school tonight. So I made her promise that I could go with her. At least that way I can steer her clear of Mr. Johnson's classroom."

"That sounds like a great plan Gabs. But I have another idea. How about if I call your mom, and pretend to be her work, and ask her to work tonight? Oh, never mind, that wouldn't work. She's at work so why would they call her instead of talk to her?"

"No, Troy, it's perfect! She has the day off today but she often works evenings. Being a nurse and all, it's not unusual."

"So that's what we'll do then. I'll meet you at the pay phone during free period.

"Sounds like a plan!"

After science, I practically sprinted down the hallway towards the pay phone. Troy was already there, waiting patiently. It seemed like he'd been there for quite a while.

"Sorry I'm late. How long have you been waiting for?" I asked.

"Like half an hour." He claimed.

"Ya right man," exclaimed Chad as he passed by, "Thirty seconds tops!"

Troy turned as red as a tomato.

"All right, you got me," he confessed. I gently swatted at his arm.

"Ok Troy, now how about that phone call?"

"Right." Troy dialed my phone number.

"Hello?"

"Hello Ms. Montez, this is the Grace Hospital."

"Why hello. Is this Dr. Ferrero?"

"Yes. Um…we were wondering if you could possibly work this evening? 7 til midnight?"

"Well I wish I could but I have other plans tonight."

"We desperately need someone, please cancel your plans."

"I'm sorry, I can't. Good-bye."

I could tell by the look on Troy's face that the plan hadn't worked. I sighed. Now, the only thing to do was wait.

At 7:00, my mom and I walked through the doors of East High. There were lots of parents strolling from classroom to classroom, introducing themselves to all the teachers.

"So mom, who do you want to see first?"

"Hmm…we should go in order. So how about if we start with your homeroom teacher?"

"NO! I mean…we're supposed to visit them last. You know, save the best for last. How about if we go see Ms. Wagner? She's my LA teacher. You'll like her. She likes…um…showers."

"What do you mean, she likes showers?"

"Um…as opposed to baths. Just like you. Nothing beats a nice refreshing shower. Better than bathing in your own filth. Ha. Ha. Ha."

My mom gave me a weird look.

"Ok then…well let's go."

She started off down the hallway. I saw Mr. Johnson rounding the corner at the other end, so I pulled mom into the janitor's closet.

"Gabriella! Why are we in here?"

"I wanted to show it to you. See this mop? It's a very nice mop. We should get one for our house. To clean it."

"Whatever, Gabi, I don't have all day. Let's just go see your teacher. The one who enjoys…showers."

She opened the door. Luckily Mr. Johnson was out of site. We continued down the hall and finally reached Ms. Wagner's classroom. My mom had a nice discussion with her, occasionally wincing when a particularly large piece of spit landed on her. After she was more than a little damp, she decided that it was time to go to see the next teacher.

We stepped out into the hallway. Just as we did that, Mr. J walked by. He didn't see my mom. But she saw him alright.

………………………………………………………………………………...

**Hey everyone! I hope you're enjoying the story. I'm going away for the long weekend so I won't update til Monday at the very earliest. Please review! I was very disappointed that I only got 4 reviews for Chapter 5. I know there are 20 of you who have this story on alert so I want at least 10 reviews for this chapter. And even if you don't have this on alert, review anyways! Thanks to all my reviewers who have reviewed! **

**-freakymathgirl**

**PS: What do you think her mom's reaction will be? Ooooo, you'll have to find out! Hahahahahaha!**


	7. Confronting Mom

**Confronting Mom**

My mom took a double take, before turning very, very pale.

"Gabi, it's time to go home. I'm not feeling well."

I was still in shock because of what had happened. I nodded, speechless.

We got into the car and silently drove home. It was about a five minute drive, so I didn't have much time to think. I also didn't have Troy to help me decide what to do. But I had to make my decision quickly. So I did. I decided to tell mom about what I knew. The sooner I told her, the better.

When we arrived at our house, we went inside.

"Mom…I have something to tell you," I confessed.

"What is it dearie? Can it wait? I'm feeling a little ill and I'd sort of like to have a nap."

"Mom, this is something you really need to hear."

"Ok. Out with it, then."

I paused for a moment, contemplating how to break it to her. I decided to be blunt.

"Mom, I know that Mr. Johnson is my dad."

My mom gasped, then slowly exhaled. The color drained from her face. First she looked upset, then confused.

"What made you think that? I told you your father was dead."

"He looked so much like the picture of dad I have. Also, one time when Troy and I were dog sitting for him, we found a newspaper clipping from your wedding and his ring that matched yours. And mom, we found the letters in your drawer from him."

She became angry.

"Why were you snooping through my stuff? Gabi, that is not acceptable!" She yelled.

"Well you weren't exactly giving me any answers, mom! What was I supposed to do?" I retorted.

She sighed weakly, and I could tell I had won. She didn't have enough energy to argue, she knew she would lose.

"Mom," I asked gently, "Why did you tell me dad died?"

She took a deep breath.

"Your father and I married young. We were deeply in love. But one day I found out that he was cheating on me. We decided that the best thing to do would be to divorce. The divorce process was quick and a month later I moved to San Diego, and he moved to Phoenix. We didn't really stay in touch. Well, he tried to write me but I didn't open his letters. I didn't want anything to do with him."

I was very confused.

"Mom, where do I come in?"

"I was just a couple weeks pregnant when your father and I divorced. He didn't know you existed. I didn't either, until after the divorce was finalized. I didn't tell him about you because I was scared about how he would react. It was a lose-lose situation."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well, if he was happy about having a child, then we might have to have joint custody. I just wanted him out of my life. And I wanted you to myself. I had lost everything. My husband, my job I loved, my friends. Moving took that all away from me but it was what I had to do. I needed you. You were all I had left. And if he was upset about having a child, he might have pressured me into having an abortion. That would not have been a good thing at all."

By then I had tears in my eyes. My mom had really, _really_ wanted me. So much that she was willing to give up her friends, her job, and her home. I was so overwhelmed by her love for me, before she even got to know me.

"Ok, I understand why you didn't tell dad. But why not tell me about dad?" I inquired.

"You are a curious girl, Gabi. I knew you'd want to find him and get to know him. After all, he was your father. But I was scared of losing you. I thought you might choose him over me, and the idea of that broke my heart."

"Wow, mom. I never would have guessed how much you've been hiding from me. But I really would like to get to know dad. We have to tell him about me. He has the right to know. Don't worry; I won't let him take me from you."

Mom looked very sad, yet I knew she had to agree with me. It was the right thing to do.

"I suppose you're right Gabi. We'll go have a chat with him tomorrow."

I smiled, and dashed upstairs to call Troy.

"Hello?"

"Oh, Troy, guess what?"

"Hmm…aliens have landed on earth and are taking over the world?

"No, silly, my-"

"Did you win a million dollars? Meet a celebrity? Has man set foot on Mars? Is your mom making brownies?"

"No!" I exclaimed, frustrated. "My mom saw Mr. Johnson. He didn't see her. I confronted her and told her what I knew. Tomorrow we'll go talk to Mr. Johnson."

Troy exhaled slowly.

"Wow. Things sure are happening fast."

"I know. Troy, will you please come with me to talk to him tomorrow? I'm really scared."

"Gabi, I will always support you. But this is something you and your mom need to deal with, just the two of you. I'm sorry, Gabs."

"I understand, Troy. Thanks."

"For what?"  
"Just for being there for me. It means a lot."

"You're welcome Gabi. I love you."

"Love you too."

"Good night."

"Good night."

………………………………………………………………………………

**Awwwwwwww. I decided not to do a cliffy this time, because I've been doing a lot of them lately. Unfortunately, this story is almost over. I'll likely do maybe two or three more chapters, and then a sequel. I already have an idea for one. I'll write a trailer soon, probably. Thanks so much to all my faithful reviewers! The reviews keep me going. So review please! I'll probably post another chapter maybe tomorrow, and after that they'll come more slowly because I'm starting school on Wednesday. Oh joy. Anyways, hope you're enjoying the story!**

**-freakymathgirl**


	8. Curling Irons and Game Shows

**Curling Irons and Game Shows**

The next day in school I was really fidgety. I just couldn't concentrate in class, because I was so nervous about what Mr. Johnson's reaction would be. So many things could go wrong.

During lunch, we ate outside. My friends were talking about this new kid in our math class, but I was too preoccupied to pay attention. Troy noticed my unease and pulled me aside.

"Gabi, I know you're nervous about talking with your dad, but you need to relax! No amount of worrying is going to change how he reacts. Just trust me on this one, ok?"

"Troy, I try not to worry but I can't help it. So much could go wrong!" I wailed.

"Like what? Be realistic," he said calmly.

"Well, he could be overjoyed that he has a long lost daughter and try to take me away from my mom.," I explained.

"Gabs, your mom is a good mom to you. They would never give him full custody unless she was abusive or something."

I felt a little bit better.

"But…what if he's really mad that I was born and is out to get me for the rest of my life?"

"Think about it. Doesn't he seem like a decent man, from what you're seen of him?"

"Well, yeah," I admitted, "But even pedophiles seem 'decent' to people who don't know them too well."

Troy sighed.

"I give up. Nothing I can say will make you feel better. You'll just have to tough it out and wait until tonight."

All of a sudden something occurred to me. I realized that Troy was always the one comforting me, listening to me, helping me, being a shoulder for me to cry on. When was the last time he had come to me with a problem? I felt terrible. I was the one doing all the taking in this relationship and he was doing the giving. I decided to stop whining to him and try to work things out myself.

"Thanks Troy. So, uh, how are things going for you?"

"Um…good…"

"Anything you want to talk about with me?"

"You know about how I was the one who broke your curling iron, don't you? How did you find out? Did Chad tell you? Man, when I get my hands on him-"

"So it was you? How did you break my curling iron?"

"Why do you sound so surprised? Didn't Chad tell you?"

"No, I just found out now. And how exactly did you break my curling iron?"

"Oops. Well, you see, one day I was at you house and I was in the washroom and I saw your curling iron out on the counter. So I thought, 'Hmm, wonder how those things work?' so I turned it on and had just started testing it out when it slipped out of my hands and into the toilet."

I giggled.

"So that's why your hair looked so funny that day!" Troy turned red and I gave him a hug.

"It's ok," I whispered, "You look adorable even with messed-up hair."

When I got home, my mom wasn't there yet, so I paced the kitchen floor until she arrived. Needless to say, I was feeling a bit dizzy and was on the verge of a nervous breakdown by the time she arrived.

"Gabi, I still need to call your father to let him know I'm coming over. Just calm down! Have a seat on the couch and watch TV or something while I call him, ok?"

I sat down and started watching Who Wants to be a Millionaire. My mom walked over to the phone and dialed.

"Hello, may I please speak to Bill?" She tapped her foot impatiently.

"Oh hi Bill! It's me, Lisa."

"Yes, Lisa Montez. I know I haven't really been in contact with you, but I have a very important matter I need to discuss with you. Would you mind if I come over in maybe ten minutes or so?"

"Ok I'll see you then!"

She hung up.

"What did he say, what did he say?" I pleaded.

"We're going over to his place right now. He was very surprised to hear from me but he didn't sound mad. Come, let's get in the car."

I was already halfway out the door.

The drive to his house seemed to take hours, although I knew it was really only five minutes. I really wished that Troy was with me but I didn't want to be a burden to him. I sighed to myself. Why couldn't he pour his heart out to me and then I'd feel like we were in a balanced relationship? But I knew the answer. Life's not fair. Deal with it.

We drove up to my dad's house and mom stopped the car. We walked up the driveway and knocked on the door.

My dad opened it.

"Hi Lisa! It's so nice to see you! It's been too long! Come in, come in."

We both stepped inside. Then he noticed me.

"Lisa, how do you know Gabriella? Why is she here?"

My mom didn't say anything. Mr. J looked from me to my mom, me to my mom, looking very confused. Then he figured it out. The color drained out of his face. He was shocked. Then his expression changed. He looked very-

**Well I didn't give you a cliffy last chapter so I thought I'd do one this time. Mwahaha. Anyways, thanks to all my reviewers and everyone please keep reviewing! I want to know what you want to see in the story. How do you want her dad to react? I have an idea about what I might do but your opinions count too.**

**Today was my first day of school and luckily I don't have any homework. Yet. Yippee! But once the homework starts coming, I won't be able to update as often. Just a warning!**

**Review!**

**-freakymathgirl**


	9. Allison and Heather

**Allison and Heather**

_Previous Chapter_

"_Lisa, how do you know Gabriella? Why is she here?"_

_My mom didn't say anything. Mr. J looked from me to my mom, me to my mom, looking very confused. Then he figured it out. The color drained out of his face. He was shocked. Then his expression changed. He looked very-_

-calm. My eyes widened in disbelief. Something really dramatic was happening, and he was feeling calm?

"Why don't we go have a seat and discuss this," he said coolly. "I don't want to make any wrong assumptions about what you are here to discuss."

My mom and I both nodded. I felt really shaky and my palms were clammy. Mr. Johnson led us inside and we went and sat down on his living room couch. It was nice and cushy. After we were settled, my mom spoke up.

"Bill, I'm going to be frank here. No beating around the bush. Gabriella is your daughter." My mom blushed a little.

My dad's eyes widened a bit but other than that, his expression didn't change.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Positive, Bill. I never cheated on you. I was about a month or two pregnant with her by the time our divorce was finalized."

"Why didn't you tell me about her? Don't you think that I might've wanted to have a part in raising my daughter?"

By that time they were both standing up. Their voices were getting pretty loud and Mr. Johnson was pacing around the room. My mom sat down, tears coming to her eyes.

"Don't you see, Bill? That's what I was afraid of. Gabi was all I had, and I didn't want you to take her away from me," she said quietly.

"So you decided to do the same thing to me? Thanks a lot, Lisa, thank you very much."

"Bill-" she began.

"Oh, don't you 'Bill' me Lisa. You know that you are losing this argument."

I couldn't stand listening to them fight. Quietly, I slipped out of the room, and went to find a bathroom. I remembered that it was the second door on the left. I walked down the hallway and went in. I sat down on the floor and started to cry. Why did things have to turn out this way? I wanted my parents to be friendly to each other but I got the feeling that there was going to be a custody battle. The one thing I wanted to do most was call Troy, but I couldn't bear to burden him yet again. So I just sat there and cried.

As I fingered my phone in my pocket, I thought of calling Taylor. But it just didn't seem right. Taylor hadn't really been that active in figuring things out, and it seemed wrong to let her know before Troy. I sighed and washed the tears off my face. It was time to go out and face my parents.

I stepped into the hallway, and I almost ran into a young woman carrying a baby. She was a few inches taller than me with shoulder-length sun streaked light brown hair and blue eyes. She was very pretty, and she looked to be between thirty and thirty-five. The baby was chubby and cute with blue eyes and wisps of brown hair. I immediately recognized them as Mr. Johnson's wife and daughter, Allison and Heather.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" I gasped, "Are you ok?"  
"Not a problem, dear. My name is Allison. Would you like to come into the kitchen for a drink?" she asked kindly.

"I would love that," I responded. I immediately liked Allison. There was just something about her that was really likeable. I followed her down the hallway into the kitchen.

"We have orange juice, apple juice, milk, water, Kool-Aid, Pepsi, and Sprite."

"Milk would be great, thanks." I sat down on a barstool at the counter. She handed me my milk and I took a sip.

"You're probably wondering who I am and what I'm doing in your house," I started.

"Oh, there's no need for explanation. I knew my husband's ex-wife was coming over and I saw you come in with her. I heard everything. The walls are pretty thin in this house. I guess I'm your step mom. This here is Heather, your sister."

I smiled. I had always wanted a sister.

"Is it okay if I hold her?" I asked shyly.

"Feel free!" Allison handed me Heather. She was even cuter up close. She seemed to like me. I played Pat-a-cake with her, and she smiled. I made some funny faces at her and she giggled.

"She must realize that you're her sister," Allison said solemnly, "Because she doesn't usually warm up to people so fast. She's a shy little girl."

I smiled again. But my smiled turned to a frown when Mr. Johnson stormed into the room, followed by my mom. They were both frowning, but their faces softened when they saw me holding Heather.

"Ah, Gabriella. I see you've met Heather and Allison," my dad commented. "We wanted to let you know that we have decided to get a paternity test. I want to make sure that you really are my daughter before we start making custody arrangements."

I gulped.

"Gabi, it's time to go. Come on."

I handed the baby to Allison and followed my mom out the door. We drove home in silence. We were almost at our house when my mom spoke up.

"The test will be tomorrow, Gabi. We'll go after school. Don't dawdle on the way home." I nodded and sighed. It was going to be a long evening.

………………………………………………………………………………...

The next morning I put off going to school until as late as possible, so late that I entered homeroom just as the final bell sounded. That way, no one would have time to question me.

I sat down in my desk. Troy turned around and looked at me questioningly. I shook my head. Troy passed me a note.

**Meet me in the secret place during free period, okay?**

_I can't, I have rehearsal homework I need to work on._

**Yah right, you have all the homework that's due in the next month completed and filed away. Why are you avoiding me Gabs? Meet me there or else! (jk)**

_Fine._

When I walked up the steps, Troy was already there.

"Ok, Gabi, what gives? Why didn't you phone me to tell me what happened? Why are you avoiding me?" Troy demanded.

Tears welled up in my eyes.

"Troy, it's just…well…"

"You can tell me, Gabi, what's wrong?"  
"It just seems to me like I am the one on the receiving end of this relationship, Troy. I'm always crying to you and stuff, but I'm never there for you when you need me. I don't want to burden you."

"Gabi, you have to understand. You never have been a burden. You never will be a burden. Got it? I love you and I _want_ to be there for you. If I ever need you, I'll come to you. But right now you're going through a hard time and I want to support you." He gently wiped a tear from my cheek and leaned in to kiss me. Our lips met, and the familiar electricity shot through my entire body. I deepened the kiss and wrapped my arms around his neck. He put his arms around waist when we were interrupted.

"Geez, can't you guys go for more than two seconds without making out?" Asked Chad.

We shot apart, and glared at Chad. Then the bell rang so we had to go to our next class. Troy and I walked hand in hand down the stairs, ignoring Chad. I promised Troy I'd tell him more about the previous evening later on.

**I hope you all like that. Sorry for not updating. I've been busy with school. Please Please Please review! They motivate me and help me get chapters written sooner! **

**-freakymathgirl**


	10. The Results

**The Results**

After school, Troy walked me home. I told him everything. How mad my parents had gotten at each other, meeting Allison and Heather, and the paternity tests. I sort of wanted Troy to come along with me, but I knew it was something I needed to do alone.

The thing was, Troy and I hadn't spent much quality time together recently, but I promised him that I'd call him as soon as I got back. There would probably be time for the two of us to go for dinner when I got back.

"Well, I guess I should go inside, Troy. We need to leave in a couple of minutes."

"Don't worry about it, Gabi, everything will turn out ok. You'll see."

Troy gave me a hug. I felt so safe there in his arms. We hugged for like 5 minutes. Then my mom came out.

"Uh, Gabriella, it's time to go. Sorry, if I'm interrupting anything."

"That's ok, mom," I said as I released Troy from my death grip, "We were just finishing up. Bye Troy," I added, "I'll call you when I get home."

He smiled and I blew him a kiss. Then we got into the car.

When we got to the doctor's office, we were brought into a little waiting room. I sat down on an uncomfortable chair, fidgeting nervously. A couple minutes later, the nurse brought my dad into the room as well. We all sat in an awkward silence. After about five minutes, the doctor walked into the room.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Johnson, Ms. Montez, Gabriella. I understand you are here for a paternity test, to find out if Mr. Johnson is Gabriella's father?"

We all nodded in unison.

"Ok then. I will just need to take a little bit of blood from each of your arms, and we will run some tests. We should have the results in an hour or two." **(A/N: I know that the results probably don't come that fast and that might not be how they do the testing. I am not a doctor so don't get mad at me if I'm wrong!) **

The doctor stuck a small needle into my arm and withdrew maybe a teaspoon of blood or so. I get really grossed out by the sight of blood so I quickly looked away. Next she took some from my dad. Then she left the room, promising to return as soon as the test results were finalized.

We sat for a few minutes in an uncomfortable silence. I decided that the best thing to do to pass the time would be to take out my book. After the first page, I became so absorbed in it that nothing could tear me away. I barely noticed when the doctor came back, but when it finally hit me I snapped back to reality very quickly. I putted down my book, and took a few deep breaths to compose myself.

"OK, I have the results here. Would you like Ms. Montez and Gabriella to hear the results with you or do you want to hear them first?"

"I have nothing to hide," he explained. "We'll hear them together."

"Fine then. Mr. Johnson, Gabriella is your daughter."

I let out a sigh of relief, ad so did my mom. Mr. Johnson smiled a little and leaned over to give me a hug. It felt a little awkward hugging my teacher, but I guessed he was more than then. He was my father.

We headed out of the office towards the parking lot. My parents were talking about me. I hated when they talked like that, as if I wasn't there.

I walked a little faster so I wouldn't have to listen to them argue. I knew they were fighting over who got to spend more time with me. It sucked.

………………………………………………………………………………

My uncle owns a big law firm, so my mom was able to schedule an appointment for the three of us that evening. I was scared. I didn't know what was going to happen. When we got home from the doctors office, I went to my room for awhile since we didn't have to be at the lawyers. Once I got to my room, I closed the door and dialed Troy's number. He picked up after one ring.

"So, Gabi, what happened?" He blurted out.

"Don't I even get a hello?" I pouted.

"Hi Gabriella," he consented.

I smiled, even though he couldn't see me.

"Thanks Troy," I said. "Ok, here's the scoop. He is my dad. We're going to the lawyers in an hour or so, so my parents can argue over who gets custody. It really sucks, Troy," I said, my voice cracking.

"It'll be ok Gabi. Stay strong. Do you want me to come over now?"

I sniffed a little.

"Thanks for the offer, Troy, but I have to go soon. We can talk tomorrow, and maybe go for a coffee or whatever after school. Ok?"

"Ok. But remember, if you need to talk, just call me." I smiled.

"Ok. Bye. Love you."

"Love you too."

I fell asleep, emotionally exhausted. My mom came into the room about an hour later and woke me up, explaining that it was time to go to the lawyer's.

Once we got there, I had to wait outside while my parents battled it out in the lawyer's office. I flipped through a Reader's Digest, occasionally hearing swearing coming from the door. Finally it opened and my parents came out, both of them looking a little mad. They motioned for me to join them.

We went back into the office, and the lawyer spoke.

"Gabriella, we have decided to give half custody to your father and half to your mother. You will alternate weeks at your parents' houses. You will say with your mom for the rest of the week, then next Monday you will go to your father. Ok?" I gulped and nodded. This sucked. I wanted to stay with my mom. As soon as we got out of the office, I burst into tears.

Later on I was in my room studying when the phone rang. I ran out to answer it but my mm had already got it. I heard her say hello, and then the person on the other end of the line said something. All the color drained out of her face and she looked like she was about to faint.

**REVIEW PLEASE! And I've started a new story, Summer of Surprises, so please check that out too. I'll probably only be updating once a week now with school and all, so yeah. Just a warning.**

**-freakymathgirl**


	11. Running Away

**Running Away**

**A/N: To Ami – Thanks for reviewing and I'm glad you are enjoying the story. Thanks also for the advice. I'll try to incorporate it into the next chapter or two. And I'm very sorry, but I don't give out my email to people I don't know because I just don't. It's not safe. Nothing against you, but for all I now you could be a creepy 40-year-old man who wants to rape me. Anyways, sorry, and I hope you enjoy this chapter! **

_Previously:_

_Later on I was in my room studying when the phone rang. I ran out to answer it but my mom had already got it. I heard her say hello, and then the person on the other end of the line said something. All the color drained out of her face and she looked like she was about to faint._

I ran to my mom's side, so I could catch her if she did faint. Fortunately, she didn't. After another minute or so, she hung up the phone looking very shaken.

"What is it, Mom?" I begged, dying to know what was going on.

She sighed.

"Why don't we go sit down?"

I followed her towards the couch. I was almost shaking. I felt apprehensive and excited and nervous and terrified all at once.

"Gabi, my company is transferring me to Minneapolis. I have to move next week," she admitted, remorsefully.

I burst into tears and ran to my room quickly. I could hear her trying to say more, but I didn't want to hear another word. My life was ruined! All my friends would be ripped away from me. And Troy. My Troy. Sure, we could write, but long-distance relationships rarely work out.

I locked my door, and then I lay down on my bed and pounded my mattress with my fists. I cried and cried and cried until I couldn't cry any longer. I felt so emotionally drained. But I had to get away.

I quickly grabbed a backpack and put a couple of t-shirts, a pair of jeans, an umbrella, a hoodie and some other assorted items in it. Then I put on my rain jacket and went out onto my balcony.

I climbed down the trellis and crept to the street. The weather matched my mood. It was chilly and grey. The sky was spitting down on me, seemingly trying to wash my sorrow away, but I still felt it. I just had to make one decision. Where to go?

I though for a minute, then all of a sudden an idea hit me. I walked quickly, hoping that my mom wouldn't notice I was gone for a little while still. I needed a head start.

My walking soon broke into a light jog. I hurried down the road, heading for my goal.

Before I knew it I was sprinting. I was concentrating so hard that I didn't notice a figure on the sidewalk in front of me. That is, until I slammed into them.

I fell to the ground, my body sprawling everywhere. The wind was knocked out of me for a second, but after making sure I wasn't injured, I looked up to see who I had collided with.

He looked up at the same time I did.

"Troy?" I whispered, softly.

"Gabriella?" He responded.

"What-" he started.

"How-" I interrupted.

We looked into each others eyes, then seemingly in unison we leaned together and started kissing, right there on the sidewalk, in the rain. His strong hands caressed my back and I ran my fingers through his hair. The kiss was sweet yet passionate. I poured all the emotions I'd been feeling in the past couple of days into that kiss. When we finally pulled apart, I felt dazed.

"Wow," I whispered.

"I know," said Troy. "Gabs, what are you doing out in this kind of weather? Why were you running? Why do you have your backpack?"

I started sobbing. I cried so hard I couldn't speak. Troy stood up, picked my up, then he started carrying me towards his house. I wrapped my arms behind his neck and buried my heads in his chest, getting my tears all over his blue t-shirt.

Once we arrived at his house, he brought me up to his room and sat me on his bed. He sat down beside me, and cupped my face with his hands, tilting my head up to face him.

"Gabi, what's going on?"

By then I was calm enough to explain what was going on. I told him everything, occasionally sniffing a little. By the time I was done, he looked almost as sad as I felt.

"Gabi, it sucks that you have to move. But we can email each other and talk on the phone and write. We can visit each other too. We can make it work. But right now you really need to go home. Or at least call your mom. If its ok with her, you can sleep in our guest room tonight. I just really want you to call her. She must be worried sick about you!"

I sighed. I didn't want to have anything to do with my mom right then. But I knew he was right, so I picked up the phone and began to dial.

**Thanks for reading, all! Sorry I took so long to update, but things have been crazy. Please review! They make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside! **

**freakymathgirl**


	12. Sleepover!

**Sleepover!**

_Previously…_

_I sighed. I didn't want to have anything to do with my mom right then. But I knew he was right, so I picked up the phone and began to dial._

My mom picked it up.

"Hello?" She said frantically, "Gabi? Is that you honey?"

I frowned.

"Yes mom, it's me."

"Oh, honey thank goodness you're safe! Where are you? I want you to come home right now. No. I'll come get you. We really need to talk. I have something really important to discuss with you, and-"

"Mom, I'm at Troy's. I'm going to stay here for the night, in his guest room. Don't worry, his parents will be here. I'll see you tomorrow after school, ok? I need time to think and cool down a little."

My mom started to object.

"But-"she said, then stopped suddenly. She seemed to think better of protesting. Her voice softened a bit.

"Ok, honey. If that's what you want. Just don't do anything you shouldn't. I think you know what I mean. Do you need me to drop off your clothes or anything?'  
"No mom, it's ok. I have everything I need." With that, we bid each other farewell and I hung up.

I turned to face Troy, grinning.

"I get to stay!" I exclaimed gleefully. He wrapped me in a huge hug.

"But Gabs, why did you tell her that my parents were home? You know they're out of town."

"She would NEVER have let me stay if she knew they were gone. I really needed a break from her. Anyways, it's not gonna do he any harm to think they're here."

"Yeah, unless she had asked to talk to them. You need to think through these plans, you know."

I frowned a little. Had he just called me stupid? He looked at me, and seemingly reading my mind, said "Sorry Gabi. I didn't mean that you were stupid or anything. Heck, your grades are like double mine!"

I gave him a hug. When we finally pulled apart, I leaned in again to kiss him. It felt amazing. My whole body was buzzing. He rubbed my back and I ran my fingers through his hair.

We stopped for a minute, then moved over to the couch, sat down, and continued making out. It was incredible. We continued kissing when he sort of leaned on me until we were in a lying down position, him on top of me. All of a sudden I felt his hands lifting my shirt. I pulled away immediately.

"Troy," I warned, "Don't even think about it!"

He pouted guiltily.

"Why can't I think about it?" He teased.

I frowned.

"Sorry Gabs. I guess I sort of got caught up in the moment. Don't worry. It won't happen again."

I smiled at him, and closed the gap between us. This time we just stuck to kissing.

After our makeout session was over, we decided to watch a movie. We chose Mean Girls, my favourite. But by the time it was over, I was nearly asleep. I heard Troy call my name softly, but I chose to ignore him and see what would happen.

After a couple of seconds, I felt Troy's strong arms lift me up. He held me close to him body and carried me up the stairs.

He smelled delicious, the perfect combination of laundry detergent, and a little bit of Axe. I smiled, remembering how I had commented to him that too much Axe turns girls off. That was on the first day we met. I couldn't believe how far our relationship had come since then.

Troy set me down on a bed, and then tucked the blankets over my body. I felt him give me a gentle good-night kiss on the cheek, and then he left the room, closing the door.

I opened my eyes, grinning like crazy. I loved Troy so much. But my smile turned upside down as I thought back to what had happened earlier on. I was going to move.

I started to cry a little bit. I didn't want to leave everything I had behind. I dreaded the morning, when I would have to face my worst fears.

**Sorry this is so short. I had a little time, so I thought I'd do a short chapter. Anyways, just a warning, I'm really busy with school and stuff right now so I'll probably only be able to update every two weeks. That's all I'm promising. Maybe sooner if I get a lot of reviews. My goal is 15. I know I can get that many because I have way more than that on my alerts list. So review! NOW! PRESS THE BUTTON! You know you want to…**


	13. Decision Time

**Decision Time**

The next morning I woke up feeling confused. Upon opening my eyes, I was greeted by the sight of a strange bedroom. Rather than my usual pink walls and four-poster bed, I saw white walls, and I was sleeping in a tiny twin bed with a nauseatingly floral duvet.

Also, I was wearing an oversized white shirt that was about 20 sizes too big.

I sat up in the bed, feeling extremely puzzled. But then the scent of the t-shirt wafted up to my nose. Laundry detergent and a little bit of Axe. Then it hit me. The terrible reality I was going to have to face.

I groaned and lay back down. I buried my head under the pillow and tried to go back to sleep, so I could forget it all. But that became near impossible when Troy came into the room and started rubbing my back. Sighing, I unburied myself and sat up to face Troy. He gave me a very satisfying good-morning kiss but it was spoiled a bit by my apprehension for what the day was going to bring.

"Did you have a good sleep?" Troy asked me politely.

"It was great," I replied. Then I burst into tears.

Troy wrapped his arms around me and held me like that, rocking back and forth. I don't know how long we sat there like that for. Me sobbing into his strong muscular chest, him comforting me.

"It'll be ok," He whispered, as he stroked my hair soothingly.

"What you need to do right now is just get home. You're not going to feel any better until you've faced your mom."

I knew he was right; I just didn't want to believe him. Reluctantly, I agreed to leave. I got him to exit the room, changed, ate a quick breakfast of Raisin Bran and an orange, and walked out the door. Troy walked me home (probably because he was scared I'd run away again) but the whole walk was one long, awkward silence.

When we got to my house, Troy stopped at the end of my sidewalk. He gave me a hug, and whispered in my ear.

"Good luck. I love you."

I smiled at him.

"I love you too."

Then I walked up the front steps, and knocked on the door. The moment had finally arrived.

………………………………………………………………………………...

My mom answered the door, looking very flustered. When she saw me, her eyes lit up and she pulled me into a giant bear hug.

"Oh, Gabi!! Honey, I've missed you so much! And I was so worried! Please promise me you'll never do that again. I love you. Oh, I'm so glad you're ok. I thought you were dead in a dumpster someone. Please promise me you'll never do that again ever!!!"

I felt suffocated. And even though I was mad at my mom, I couldn't help but hug her back. I knew she wasn't trying to hurt me.

At that moment, I noticed a strange man standing behind her. He looked a little uncomfortable, probably because he had to witness this personal event, but he cleared his throat a little when he saw me looking at him.

My mom jumped a little and looked in his direction, but when she saw him she relaxed a little.

"Oh Gabs, I'd like you to meet someone. This is Mr. Lawson. He's our new lawyer. It turns out that your uncle's law firm made a bit of a mistake, which Mr. Lawson will explain to you in a moment. Turns out the other law firm was a little shifty, so…well…yeah. Anyways. Um. Mr. Lawson. Why don't you tell her about…how about we sit in the living room?"

My mom looked really nervous. Her face was pale and she was sweating a little. I could tell from the little sweat marks she had going on in the armpit vicinity of her blouse. We went and sat down, then the lawyer spoke.

"Gabriella, it turns out that children over the age of 9 have special rights here in America. When their parents get divorced, they are allowed to choose which parent they want to live with. They can choose one or the other, or both, like partial custody. What I'm saying is, you don't have to move with your mom. You can choose to stay here in Albuquerque with your father, if you please."

I couldn't believe it. I had a choice! But it was going to be a tough one. Sure, dad had a nice house and I would have a sister and I'd get to stay here. But I'd miss my mom so much. If I went with my mom, I'd miss everyone here so much. I didn't know what to do!!!

I took a deep breath.

"Thanks, Mr. Lawson. I…I think I'll go to my room now. I'm really tired. Maybe after a nap I'll be able to think it over with a clear head."

I could tell by the look on my mom's face that she was disappointed. I knew she had wanted me to jump up and run t her and hug her and tell her I'd rather stay with her than do anything else in the world and that my life here wasn't important. But I couldn't do that. So I walked towards the stairs, wondering how I was ever going to make a decision that would hurt like hell, no matter what I decided.

**AN: I'm so sorry I haven't updated in so long!! You know, school, homework, etc. My apologies. Please review though!! Please do! The more reviews, the sooner I update. Thanks for all the reviews I got so far! And ideas are welcome. Tell me what decision you want her to make!**

**-freakymathgirl**


	14. Finally

**Finally**

As I packaged up the last box, a tear ran down the side of my face. I couldn't believe it. Just one more night in the house I knew and loved; the house I was familiar with. I had to leave my balcony, the special place where Troy and I had kissed for the first time, on that night he convinced me to do the callbacks with him. That had been my very first kiss. The balcony had been the place where he had asked me to be his girlfriend. Many nights, the two of us would just sit out there and watch the stars. It was one of my favorite places in the world.

I taped the final box shut. I still wondered if I had made the right decision. It had been a very tough one. Either way, someone was hurt. Either way, I was going to miss someone. And either way, I was going to feel a lot of pain.

I wandered outside onto my balcony, admiring the stars there for the last time. I sat there for awhile in silence, losing track of time. It could have been minutes, or it could have been hours.

I returned to reality when I heard a rustling in the bushes down below. I looked down, and I saw Troy. He began scaling the old oak tree like he had done so many times. I smiled a little, remembering the time he fell out of the tree. Luckily he hadn't been hurt, but the bright shade of red he had turned had made my day.

Wordlessly, he came and sat beside me. He took my hand in his, and began to massage it gently.

"Troy," I asked, "How do I know whether or not I made the right decision?" I asked, worriedly.

"Gabriella, you'll never know for sure. It's impossible. The only way you could know would be if you were to experience life living with both your dad and hen your mom, and then decide. But you can't do that. You just have to know that the decision you made is one you made for a reason."

"Oh Troy," I sighed, "I don't even have a solid reason for why I chose what I chose." I leaned my head on his shoulder.

"Well, how did you make your decision?" He asked.

"I just used my gut instinct," I replied.

"Now then, you made the right choice. Gabi, your gut instinct is always correct. It was what made you audition for the musical, right?"

"Well, I guess…" I said hesitantly.

"And didn't that turn out well?" He probed.

"Yes, it got us together." I responded.

"See, you need to trust yourself. The decision you made is the one that was right for you." He advised.

I sighed a little. Deep down, I knew he was right. It just hurt so much. We sat there for another few minutes in silence.

"Troy?" I began, tentatively.

"What is it?" He inquired.

"I just…I just wanted to thank you. You have helped me so much through this whole process. It's just been really hard for me, but you've always stuck with me and supported me. I…I love you, Troy." I said it with more sincerity than I ever had before. At that exact moment, I knew that Troy and I would always be together. We were meant to be. I didn't just love him. I was in love with him. I knew it with my whole heart.

Overcome with emotion, I leaned towards Troy and kissed him with all the passion I was feeling at that very moment. It was soft and sweet yet fiery and passionate. It was unlike any other kiss I'd ever experienced. After a little while, we both pulled away. My entire body was tingling, and my lips felt swollen. I smiled an Troy. He smiled back.

I looked at the clock. Midnight already!!!!

"Uh…Troy, I hate to kick you out but it's already midnight and I have to get up early tomorrow because the moving trucks will be here early and-"

He cut me off with a quick kiss on the lips. Staring into my eyes, he said good-night, and quickly left.

The next morning came quickly. I went downstairs to eat breakfast, and my mom was already there. Just looking at her made me want to cry. I felt so ashamed, like a traitor. I was all she had, and I was leaving her. I began to sniffle a little and she gave me a hug.

"Gabriella, I understand the decision you made. Your whole life is here. It'll be ok. You can visit at Christmas, and during the summer. Bring your friends if you want. I don't want you feeling guilty, because I know that the decision you made was the one that was best for you."

I gave her a hug. Then my dad knocked on the door. Mutely, we loaded all my stuff into his pickup truck. We drove to his house. My house. With the help of a couple of my dad's friends, we unloaded my belongings. The guest room upstairs was my new room. I smiled, remembering the first time I had been to that house. It seemed like a lifetime ago. Had it really only been a few weeks?

As I thought back to all the happy memories I had had there in Albuquerque, I realized something. I suddenly knew that the decision I had made had definitely been the right one.

_The End!!!_

**AN: Oh, the final chapter. I hope you all enjoyed the story. I had a lot of fun writing it. I want to thank all my loyal reviewers and supporters. And I'd like to thank my patient readers. It often took me a LONG time to update. But yeah. Please review, let me know what you thought of the chapter, or even the story as a whole. If you want me to write a sequel, I'd be open to ideas. But yeah. Thanks everyone!!! And if you liked this, please check out my other stories. Thanks!**

**-freakymathgirl**


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